Firewalker: Unknown Territory
by Chalcedonyx
Summary: Lanis, a woman with a mysterious past, joins the company of Thorin Oakenshield. Looking to uncover the truth about her past, she searches for answers while helping the company to reclaim Erebor, and denying the feelings she has for the arrogant, hard-headed leader who wields an oaken branch. Book one of my Firewalker series.
1. An Old Friend

Little is said about half breeds in the Lord of the Rings series and the Hobbit. While I know they can and do occur, many are either the result from human and elf pairings, or from human and orc pairings. I wanted to write a story with a main character that came from a different background, and how life might be lived for her, while also being able to change certain events that occur in the Hobbit. Disclaimer for my story: I only own my original characters.

* * *

 _In a little village, in a little cottage, there lived a blacksmith and his wife. The blacksmith had hair like flame that fell in wild curls, and a long braided beard. The wife had hair like corn silk, and eyes like the verdant grasses that grew in the spring. They forged a life together in that small little village; piece by piece they built their home, his smithy shop, and her garden. By day he made nails, sharpened axes and fixed wagons. By night he came home to his wife and told her how much he loved her. For years and years they tried to bring new life into the world forged from their love, they had almost given up hope, but then something miraculous happened… soon a child was born._

 _..._

The world came into focus gradually, and it all started with a pounding on the head so fierce that Lanis was worried she'd been trampled by a horse. Next, the world focused from blurred colors into old wooden planks above her head and a sky smeared grey with heavy rain clouds that could be seen out the open doorway. The air smelled thickly of hay, and horses. Did she actually get kicked by a horse? She reached a hand up to her aching head to check for wounds, sure enough her hands brushed over a lump behind her right ear.

"Oh, by the gods. That smarts." She hissed, her memory of the previous day came rushing back to her and she grimaced, never mess with feisty untrained stallions.

Lanis glanced around for her pack, a sturdy leather backpack with extra pockets, and hoisted it onto her shoulders. The stable master had been nice enough to let her sleep in the barn during her stay in Fornost. She'd spent the past few months feeding the horses by day, and then working in the Inn by night, playing her flute and singing songs. She'd missed her shift last night after she'd helped get a new stallion back into the corral; the feisty thing had struck her. The stable master had been shocked, insisting that she should go see a healer. Needless to say, she didn't go to see any healer, unless you count the bottom of a bottle of mead and a rather comfortable pile of hay.

Rising up and dusting bits of hay off of her trousers, she began the walk into Fornost to stock up on supplies. Her gear for the most part was intact, despite the few times she'd fallen into a scuffle. Her grey-blue cloak had a few snags on the end from getting caught in brambles and her knee-high doeskin leather boots were lightly travel worn; she wouldn't have to worry about repairs for quite some time, so long as she stayed out of trouble. Her off-white blouse had long loose sleeves that billowed about in the breeze, and on top of the blouse was a reinforced brown leather corset vest that offered her protection. Her trousers were made of soft grey cotton, which were tucked into her boots. She might be a woman, but dresses and skirts simply weren't practical for travel. Strapped around her waist was a utility belt which held various supplies, her flute and two long iron daggers. She wore her cloak today, the clouds overhead suggested rain was on its way. Pulling the hood of her cloak over her mess of golden blonde curls, she stepped out of the stable.

She was headed to the market primarily intending to pick up something for breakfast. The market place was bustling with activity despite the dour setting the sky provided, and she slipped around other shoppers with practiced ease. Stalls lined the cobbled streets and were filled with a variety of items: colorful silks and cotton weaves, fresh fish and meats, freshly grown vegetables and herbs. She bought a couple of apples and some sweet bread for breakfast before making her way over to a stall selling healing salves. She was inspecting a jar for bumps and bruises when he had appeared. She'd nearly dropped the bottle in surprise when she'd felt his hand on her shoulder.

Whirling around she'd pointed an accusatory finger in his direction, "Didn't I ask you not to pop out of nowhere?"

"I never simply pop out of nowhere, Lanis. I travel in exactly the same manner that everyone else does." Gandalf had tilted his dead down as he looked at her, leaning on his staff as he did so. He looked every part the wise old wizard, and he'd never aged a day since she first met him all those years ago.

She grinned at her old friend, but then her suspicions started to rise "What are you doing here? I don't expect you've come to Fornost for nothing."

Gandalf sighed, "Can an old man never be allowed to visit his friends? But you are right, I came for you Lanis. I am in need of your assistance."

"My assistance with what, exactly?" Lanis raised an eyebrow at him from under her hood.

He hesitated briefly, "It's a delicate matter, one that should be discussed elsewhere, but your abilities will be most useful given the circumstances. Lanis, you know I'd only ask this of you if it was important."

Lanis huffed in indignation; he was keeping her in the dark again. She paused for a moment, starting at the healing salve in her hand before placing it back on the counter. She didn't know how she felt about helping the wizard with so little information, but regardless she trusted Gandalf's judgment. If this really was an important matter, and he came to her for help, who was she to turn him away?

"Very well then, lead the way. I make no promises for how long I'll stay, but I'll help you for now at least." She turned back towards him.

Gandalf smiled, then turned and led her back out of the city. Lanis knew Gandalf would want to get going immediately, and was glad that she was nearly always travel-ready. Fornost was a decently large human city, built primarily out of dark stone and wood. It had many buildings all lined up in an odd grid, and tall stone walls that rose up about it to cage it in. She never particularly enjoyed the sight of this city when she first laid eyes on it. Despite its beautiful surroundings of grassy flower speckled meadows, hills and mountains, Fornost was in itself a depressing city. The humans that lived here were always in such a rush to accomplish things, busying themselves about this way and that, often very impatient. Lanis found them to be quite rude as well, they weren't as generous with tips, and the only people she had gotten along with since she came here were the stable master and the innkeeper.

Lanis sighed as they walked out of the gates, despite her dislike for the city she wasn't sure which she desired more: to stay in the city or to leave with Gandalf. He knew that she didn't like being kept in the dark, but he had hinted that it was too dangerous to inform her about their quest in such a populated space. Whatever they were about to do, it might be more danger than Lanis was ready to get into. They walked down the south road towards the stables; once they arrived Gandalf moved towards a chestnut mare that was already saddled and ready to ride.

Gandalf vaguely informed her of his plan, "We'll ride together, to get to The Shire we need to make good time. We'll cut through the country and cross the Brandywine Bridge."

"The Shire?" Lanis's green eyes blinked owlishly up at Gandalf. She certainly hadn't been expecting to go there, of all places.

She'd never been to The Shire, although she'd heard about it from some hobbits during her stay in Bree. It was supposed to be a lovely place of rolling hills and lush grasses. There were multiple farms nearby, and according to some of the locals in Bree, the best mead and ale west of the South Downs. The locals were gentle folk who preferred to grow plants and dig in the dirt rather than leave the comfort of their town and pursue conflict or adventure. What on Arda were they going there for?

"We're going to The Shire to pick up another member of the company. All of the company will be meeting at The Shire before we leave, you'll meet them soon. A lively bunch that lot." Gandalf answered as if reading her mind. He smiled, no doubt thinking about this company they were going to be meeting.

Lanis couldn't stop the agitation stirring inside of her, "Gandalf, exactly how many people are we going with on this venture? You know I don't like traveling with others, besides yourself of course."

"Get on the horse you fool, we've ground to cover." Gandalf dogged her question and grabbed the back of her vest, hauling her onto the horse. He might look like an old man, but Gandalf was by far one of the hardiest beings that Lanis had ever met. Being hauled onto the horse like that had made her feel like a kitten in its mother's mouth, and she hated it. She could have just as easily gotten on the horse herself. Gandalf hoisted himself into the saddle behind her, and urged the mare into a trot.

Lanis was uncomfortable with the knowledge that she'd be traveling with more than just her and Gandalf. She'd pushed everyone away after her mother's death, everyone except for Gandalf, though it wasn't for the lack of trying. He'd been there for her, even when she didn't want him to be, and in his stubbornness she'd made a friend. She'd learned the hard way that getting attached to people usually ended in disaster, life was too easily taken away. This was why she preferred to travel alone, so that she wouldn't have to lose anyone else.

Despite all of that, she cared for her friend, and she didn't want Gandalf to have to face whatever this was alone. She didn't know exactly what Gandalf was getting her into this time, she just hoped he knew what he was doing, and didn't bite off more than he could chew. He always had a habit of wanting to get involved in dangerous prospects.


	2. The Shire

I finally have chapter 2 completed! I'm so sorry for the delay, I wanted to get this out days ago but my old laptop finally went "bye-bye" and I nearly lost all of my work. I finally have a new computer, and got this chapter ready. Also, I made a tiny last minute decision on Lanis's hair color, it's now golden blonde. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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 _The child was born in the heart of winter; snow covered the streets and roofs of the little village. The blacksmith and his wife looked after their little bundle with tender loving care. The baby was born with a small mass of blonde curls on the top of her head, and her eyes shone with the same green splendor of her mother's. The mother often held the child in an armchair by the fireplace, singing sweet songs to her little one. One dark night, the blacksmith entered the house, bringing the night's chill with him. In his arms he held a bundle of firewood. Snowflakes clung to his fiery beard and eyebrows, and as he leaned over to kiss his wife the child giggled and reached towards the melting flecks of snow._

 _..._

During the long ride to The Shire, Gandalf informed Lanis of the plan. Travel halfway across the world with a bunch of dwarves and help them to retake their homeland, Erebor. Not to mention they would be bringing a hobbit, of all creatures Lanis never expected a hobbit to be among their traveling companions. She had the sneaking suspicion that Gandalf wasn't telling her everything. Particularly about why she was coming along in the first place. Though when she'd asked, he simply replied: "All will be revealed, in good time." Wizards, did they always speak in riddles?

The thin woodlands they'd been traveling through opened up into rolling hills and meadows dotted with daisies and wildflowers. A breeze tickled the grass and rustled the leaves on the few trees that dotted the landscape. Gandalf tied the mare to a sturdy tree at the outskirts of The Shire, and they made the rest of the way by foot. The Shire truly was a peaceful place; free from the worries of the world. Its inhabitants were very easy going, their pace of life moving in harmony with the land. It was vastly different from the atmosphere of Fornost. Together, they traveled up a path lined with bricks until Gandalf stopped at one of the quaint little houses the hobbits lived in. Lanis took a moment to admire the structure. It looked as if had been dug into the hill, though how that was accomplished she could only guess. The outside walls of the house were painted in a bright yellow, and a large green wooden door was set into the front. A dark brass door handle was placed in its center, and red bricks lined the sides. Out front a hobbit sat smoking a pipe on a long wooden bench topped with an orange cushion. She noticed his pretty vest first; it was ivory with golden embroidery of flowers and leaves. Behind him, a variety of flowers and herbs grew in the ground and in pots.

The hobbit looked blissful as he smoked, breathing out a perfect circle of smoke that began spiraling into the sky. With a little wave of his hand, Gandalf used magic to turn the smoke into a butterfly, which lazily flew its way back to the hobbit and bopped him right on the nose. Lanis failed to suppress a giggle at the adorable scrunched up look that crossed the hobbit's face. He looked up when he heard her giggle, pausing when he saw Gandalf and herself. He looked as though he was unsure of what to do or say, and it was obvious that he was growing uncomfortable as he shifted in his seat.

"Good morning," the hobbit said politely before puffing on his pipe once more.

"What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or, perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on, hmm?" Gandalf leaned on his staff, his lips quirking up at the edges as he waited for a reply. _Oh dear, here we go again._

The poor thing looked flabbergasted, fumbling for an answer he finally stammered "A-all of them at once...I suppose."

Gandalf did not seem pleased with this answer, his smile quickly replaced with a frown, and he stayed quiet. This seemed to only make the hobbit more nervous.

To break the growing tension, Lanis decided to greet the hobbit herself with a friendly, "Good morning!"

He looked over at her, smiled awkwardly and asked "Oh, hello. Um…ca-can I help you…?"

"My name is Lanis, though whether you can help us is yet to be determined." She looked pointedly at Gandalf, and nudged him with her elbow.

Gandalf cleared his voice as he spoke, "Yes, I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure." His eyebrows rose in open curiosity, waiting for an answer.

If the hobbit was flabbergasted before, he was absolutely stunned now. She could already tell where this was heading as the hobbit did a double take at Gandalf.

"An…an adventure? Oh no. No I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures." He stood up to check his mail, "Nasty, disturbing…uncomfortable things. They'll make you late for dinner."

"I suppose that depends on what time your dinner is." Lanis quirked up one eyebrow and leaned against the gate, attempting to lighten the mood.

The hobbit still looked uncomfortable, and hummed to himself as he backed up towards the entrance to his house. Was Gandalf certain that they needed this hobbit? If he really was a necessary part of their company and was unwilling to go then perhaps she might as well head off herself. Her time was certainly better spent making coin, was it not? She pushed herself off of the fence and began to wander away, though she could still hear some snippets of conversation. She doubted that Gandalf would have much luck convincing the hobbit, and determined that she ought to think about which inn she'd play at next. Coins didn't appear out of thin air like wizards after all.

"Don't get comfortable with the idea of wandering off; your work here has only just begun." Once again, Gandalf was proving her point as he practically materialized next to her.

She jumped, "Gandalf! I'm starting to think that you like popping out of nowhere and scaring me."

He ignored her jest, "Return to Bilbo Baggins at nightfall, the house we were at just a moment ago, I will gather the others."

Soon, Lanis was left on her own again.

Night came quickly, most of her time had been spent between exploring the plains surrounding The Shire and getting information out of some of the residents. She'd learned that Bilbo Baggins came from a respectable family, and that he lived in "Bag End." She'd also heard quite a bit about his family history, most of which she honestly didn't remember. His neighbors rambling made her come to the conclusion that ancestry was quite important to the hobbits. Before sundown she made sure to visit the market, buying a large basket of apples. Since she was going to be imposing on Bilbo's hospitality, as well as a wizard and _thirteen dwarves,_ she didn't want to show up empty handed.

The Shire was beautiful during night time; the pond in the middle of the shire glowed blue from the light of the moon that peaked out from dark rain clouds. The hills were all swathed in an almost ethereal dark blue light, making the hills look like large waves. She was walking back to Bag End, apple basket in hand, when she caught sight of Gandalf walking with eight dwarves. He smiled when he noticed her, but otherwise continued on. She fell into step behind them; the dwarves took notice and she got a smile or two, but they were primarily busy chatting among themselves.

Warm light shone from the windows of Bilbo's house, and as they approached Lanis was able to notice a rune glowing bright blue against the darkening night. One of the dwarves rushed forward to ring the doorbell, setting off a chain reaction where all of the others started to push their way forward in their eagerness to meet with those who were indoors. She stood well out of the way, behind Gandalf, not wanting to get involved, or sucked into, the pit of frantic dwarves. When the door finally opened, she looked on in amusement as they all tumbled forward, spilling into the house like water tipping out of a glass.

Gandalf bent over to look into the house, temporarily blocking her view of the interior. The dwarves tried to get themselves up, having to climb over each other to get into the house. Once they'd all dispersed she was able to see Bilbo, poor Bilbo, who looked like he was at the end of a rope. Didn't he know they were coming? She started to have suspicions that stated otherwise. Gandalf set his pointed hat on one of the pegs by the door and disappeared somewhere inside the house leaving Bilbo and herself by the door. Bilbo pinched his nose and took a deep breath.

"Hello again, Mr. Baggins, these are for you." She smiled, stepping into the house and presenting the basket of apples to him.

"Oh, you got these for me? Thank you. Though I'm not sure it'll last, considering…" He looked bewilderingly at the basket, taking it from her with both hands.

"Do you mind if I call you Bilbo? Or would you prefer Mr. Baggins?" She took her cloak off and hung it on a peg by the door.

"Oh no not at all, Bilbo is quite alright." Bilbo's voice faded as he walked off to the pantry to add the new basket of apples to the quickly decimating amount of food.

Before the both of them knew it, or perhaps it was only Lanis, all of the food and drink had been pillaged from the pantry. Bilbo was trying his hardest to prevent the loss of all of his food, all the while Gandalf was calmly setting up the table. Gandalf motioned for her to take the seat next to him as a dwarf with elaborately braided grey hair entered the dining room. The dwarf, whose name was Dori, looked like a cultured gentleman. He was carrying a tray with two mugs and a teapot, the teapot and mugs were all a pale cream ceramic with a green leaf design that twisted around.

"Excuse me; may I tempt either Mr. Gandalf or yourself to a cup of chamomile?" Dori asked, already pouring chamomile tea into one of the mugs.

Lanis accepted the mug of chamomile tea, smiling sweetly and thanking him. She sipped on the warm liquid, noticing it was lightly sweetened with honey, exactly how she liked it. Shortly after, food began piling around the table. Plates full of ham, cheeses, mashed potatoes and tomatoes were stacked in clusters. Apple tarts, jams, cobblers, cakes and the apples Lanis had brought were soon brought to the table as well. Joined shortly thereafter by fluffy breads, chopped carrots, sausages, hard boiled eggs, roasted peppers and chicken. Lanis was certain that every scrap of food from the pantry had been brought to the table, or was in the process of being brought. She took a seat with the others and started filling up her plate with the delicious foods, she hadn't had the chance to eat this much in a long time.

The dwarves were a rowdy bunch, throwing food at each other and laughing or yelling over the table. When everything actually went quiet Lanis looked up to see every dwarf worth his whiskers drinking ale, with half of the ale running down their beards. They proceeded to participate in a belching contest; she glanced over at Gandalf and raised her eyebrows in question. Was this a part of their culture, perhaps? He just chuckled, and took another bite of his tomato.

Dinner continued on, food steadily disappearing from the table. These dwarves had terrible manners, but regardless she found them to be rather likeable. They certainly had an interesting sense of humor. Fili and Kili were some of the chattiest, particularly with her. She learned that they were brothers, and when some of the dwarves started filtering out of the dining room they came and sat next to her to tell her of their travels to get here.

"I jumped from the rock, and landed…whoosh! Like this…right onto the raider's horse. I thrust my sword into his gut, and pushed him off. Then I took the horse and charged the raiders on the ground, right? Kili, he was pickin' them off with his bow from across the way." Fili smiled and waved his arms about as he retold a story of a battle he and Kili were in on their way here.

"I did more than just pick them off brother! I slashed my way through a few as well." Kili defended.

"You mean the ones on the ground that hadn't gotten up yet?" Fili laughed and slapped his brother's back.

Kili bopped his brother on the noggin, and then headed out with Fili into the hallway, continuing their brotherly scuffle. Lanis smiled and wondered what it would be like to have a sibling, someone who was always looking out for you and teasing you at the same time. The youngest of the dwarves, Ori, got up to deal with his plate. Soon after, Lanis learned about the musical impromptu abilities of dwarves. Dishes started flying overhead as the dwarves sang while they cleaned:

Blunt the knives bend the forks

Smash the bottles and burn the corks

Chip the glasses and crack the plates

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat

Leave the bones on the bedroom mat

Pour the milk on the pantry floor

Splash the wine on every door

Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;

Pound them up with a thumping pole'

And when you've finished if any are whole,

Send them down the hall to roll.

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

Throughout the song, the dwarves cleared and cleaned everything so quickly that Lanis actually had trouble keeping up. The dwarves and Gandalf erupted into laughter at the end, primarily at Bilbo's astonished face, but Lanis was certain that she looked the same. However, their revelry was cut short by a heavy knock on the door.

"Who's that?" Lanis voiced her thought out loud.

Gandalf stood and moved to open the door, Lanis cautiously following behind. She was forced to stay to the left side of Gandalf since the dwarves were eagerly crowing the right. Although she couldn't see the newcomer she was able to hear him.

"Gandalf. I thought you said this place would be easy to find." Footsteps followed the voice as the figure stepped into the house, "I lost my way, twice."

A tall dwarf appeared; he had long black hair with a couple streaks of silver. Most of his hair was loose, but a couple of the strands were braided. His beard was closely cropped, and had no braids or ornamentation in it.

"I wouldn't have found it at all if it weren't for that mark on the door." He unclasped his cloak off, tugging it off of his shoulders, his back turned towards her.

Lanis might have known better than to antagonize him, but she simply couldn't stop herself from asking, "Did you think to ask for directions?"

The newcomer had just handed his cloak to Kili when she spoke. He'd paused, then turned around to face her. Blue eyes met green.

...

Thorin hadn't been expecting this. It had all started when he was walking up the path to the hobbit's house, a feeling that he couldn't quite place. Like something was a bit off. The feeling only increased as he stepped into the house, at first he couldn't figure out what and had simply dismissed the feeling.

Then a musical voice with an accusatory tone had piped up at him, "Did you think to ask for directions?"

He stiffened, before turning to find the source. Green eyes met blue, and he froze. It was a woman. Gandalf surly had no intention of having her come along, did he? She didn't look like a hobbit; for she was much taller than hobbits usually grew and her feet were too small. She was shorter than the average human woman, though Thorin was fairly certain she was shorter than him, even if just slightly. Her long blonde hair fell in ringlets all around her head like a halo, and her emerald green eyes stared into his almost as if in challenge. No, Thorin Oakensheild had _definitely_ not been expecting this.


End file.
